महिला

See also: महल and मह्ल

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit महिला (mahilā).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /mə.ɦɪ.lɑː/, [mɐ.ɦɪ.läː], /mɛː.ɦɪ.lɑː/, [mɛː.ɦɪ.läː]

Noun

महिला • (mahilā) f (Urdu spelling مَہِیلا)

1. lady, female, woman

   Synonyms: नारी (nārī), स्त्री (strī), मां समान (mā̃ samān)

   यह स्नानघर केवल महिलाओं के लिए है।

   yah snānghar keval mahilāõ ke lie hai.

   This bathroom is for ladies only.

Declension

Declension of महिला (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	महिला mahilā	महिलाएँ mahilāẽ
oblique	महिला mahilā	महिलाओं mahilāõ
vocative	महिला mahilā	महिलाओ mahilāo

References

• Bahri, Hardev (1989) “महिला”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “महिला”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press

Nepali

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʌ.ilä]
• Phonetic Devanagari: मइला

Noun

महिला • (mahilā)

1. woman, female

   Synonyms: स्त्री (strī), नारी (nārī), आइमाई (āimāī)

2. lady
3. ma'am

References

• “महिला”, in नेपाली बृहत् शब्दकोश (nepālī br̥hat śabdakoś) [Comprehensive Nepali Dictionary]‎^[1], Kathmandu: Nepal Academy, 2018
• Schmidt, Ruth L. (1993) “महिला”, in A Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali, Ratna Sagar

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• মহিলা (Assamese script)
• ᬫᬳᬶᬮᬵ (Balinese script)
• মহিলা (Bengali script)
• 𑰦𑰮𑰰𑰩𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀫𑀳𑀺𑀮𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• မဟိလာ (Burmese script)
• મહિલા (Gujarati script)
• ਮਹਿਲਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌮𑌹𑌿𑌲𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦩꦲꦶꦭꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂧𑂯𑂱𑂪𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಮಹಿಲಾ (Kannada script)
• មហិលា (Khmer script)
• ມຫິລາ (Lao script)
• മഹിലാ (Malayalam script)
• ᠮᠠᡥᡳᠯᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘦𑘮𑘱𑘩𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠮᠠᠾᠢᠯᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧆𑧎𑧒𑧉𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐩𑐴𑐶𑐮𑐵 (Newa script)
• ମହିଲା (Odia script)
• ꢪꢲꢶꢭꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆩𑆲𑆴𑆬𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖦𑖮𑖰𑖩𑖯 (Siddham script)
• මහිලා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩴𑪂𑩑𑩽𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚢𑚩𑚮𑚥𑚭 (Takri script)
• மஹிலா (Tamil script)
• మహిలా (Telugu script)
• มหิลา (Thai script)
• མ་ཧི་ལཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒧𑒯𑒱𑒪𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨢𑨱𑨁𑨬𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Related to महिषी (mahiṣī, “a female buffalo; any woman of high rank”), itself a feminine form of महिष (mahiṣa, “buffalo; great”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /mɐ.ɦi.lɑː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ.ɦi.l̪ɑː/

Noun

महिला • (mahilā) stem, f

1. a woman, a female
2. name of a river

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of महिला (mahilā)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	महिला mahilā	महिले mahile	महिलाः mahilāḥ
Vocative	महिले mahile	महिले mahile	महिलाः mahilāḥ
Accusative	महिलाम् mahilām	महिले mahile	महिलाः mahilāḥ
Instrumental	महिलया / महिला¹ mahilayā / mahilā¹	महिलाभ्याम् mahilābhyām	महिलाभिः mahilābhiḥ
Dative	महिलायै mahilāyai	महिलाभ्याम् mahilābhyām	महिलाभ्यः mahilābhyaḥ
Ablative	महिलायाः / महिलायै² mahilāyāḥ / mahilāyai²	महिलाभ्याम् mahilābhyām	महिलाभ्यः mahilābhyaḥ
Genitive	महिलायाः / महिलायै² mahilāyāḥ / mahilāyai²	महिलयोः mahilayoḥ	महिलानाम् mahilānām
Locative	महिलायाम् mahilāyām	महिलयोः mahilayoḥ	महिलासु mahilāsu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “महिला”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 803/3.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[2] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 397